Feelings
by DiamondLiv
Summary: When Jim meets a girl who has been stood up, he feels sorry for her, and they fall in love. Jim must deal with Melinda's gift, and when a ghost from his past shows up, he has to tell his heartbreaking story to help Melinda get this ghost to the Light.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first Ghost whisperer fanfiction, so I'm sorry if its not very good! If you go on my profile, you'll see some other ideas I've put up for Ghost Whisperer stories. Please tell me how you think I've done, and if I should continue or not:) Many thanks !**

Jim Clancy had just finished a ten hour shift. Yawning, he stretched his arms, and walked over to a bench, and saw a beautiful woman sat on it, looking fed up and bored.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"Jim asked politely, and the woman nodded fiddled with her fingers.

"Sure, I feel so lonely now any way,"she sighed, and he took a seat. Jim felt so sorry for her; she looked hurt, but he could swear he could see her lips move ever so slightly.

"Rough day, huh?" He questioned, and she gave him a smile.

"How did you know?"

"You just look down, thats all.''

"Oh. My name's Melinda Gordon, I own that antique shop down the road", Melinda gestured her hand towards the town square.

"I'm Jim. Jim Clancy. I went in there the other week, it seems classy." he smiled when she laughed, but he could soon see she was wiping away a tear.

"I was stood up,"She said quietly, and Jim sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry. I have to go, I'm so sorry, my friend's running the shop on her own today, I'll go see how she's doing. Here's my number." Melinda pulled out a small piece of paper, with her name and number beautifully scripted in purple ink. Standing up to leave, she smiled at Jim once again, and turned on her heel, leaving Jim with the phone number in hand. 'Nice job Clancy- Nice job', he said to himself, and walked off home feeling happy with himself for getting the number off the most beautiful woman he had ever seen since... Her. He had tried so hard to forget, but he couldn't. No amount of therapy could make him forget the horrific night, the night which changed him forever.

Waking up early the next morning, Jim smiled. It was Sunday, and he was off work. He had Melinda's number, so he hoped he could ring her and they could get to know each other better. After having a shower, he put on his outfit for the day, and called her. He was thankful she picked up the phone, and they set a time of twelve so they could go and get lunch at L'amore, the popular Italian that had opened up in Grandview. Jim had heard of that place before, in his old town, on the 12th of June. The date was so familiar. A night of sadness, but it hadn't started off too bad;a few days earlier he had proposed to his girlfriend.

X _Flashback _X

Walking out the house, Jim and his girlfriend, Poppy Londes, were ready for their engagement party. Poppy looked stunning in a white dress with pearls on the top; her blonde hair curled in tresses of gold. They were holding hands, until Jim had to start the car. Arriving at a ballroom in New Jersey, they were soon inside, and as more and more guests arrived, they stood and greeted them all. Everyone was dancing, and eating, generally having a good time. When the end was near, Poppy's friend, Rick Thompson, hadn't wanted to go outside for a cigarette. What they hadn't counted on was the room being very flammable, and the room burst into flames. Everyone got out, or so they thought. Poppy was still in there. Crawling round on the floor, Poppy tried to catch her breath. Jim hadn't wanted to leave her in there, so he managed to dodge all the flames and find her. He dragged her to the outside, coughing and spluttering, but she was very still. Her breathing was raspy, and her eyes were flicking open. jim didn't notice the fire engines, all he cared about was Poppy at that moment. He sang to her, to try and make her feel calmer, safer. "If I got on my knees and I pleaded with you, not to go but to stay in my arms, If I call out your name like a prayer, Would you leave me alone with my tears? I loved you before I even knew your name, and I wanted to give you my heart-" Her breathing stopped, and Jim was sure his own heart missed a few beats. Tears trickled down his face, Knowing he would never see his beautiful flower, his Poppy, ever again...

X_ End Flashback _X

Just thinking about it tore up his heart, and he had to remember that it was part of the past. He had only wanted to work in a hospital, to show his Poppy how much he wished he could have helped her. If that song came on his radio when he was cooking, he would cry, and if his friends or family were there they would comfort him, and make him feel safe.

Arriving at L'amore, he saw Melinda already at the table. She grinned, and he gave a weak smile. It was exactly three years today since Poppy's death, and he was sure she would accept his new choice. How wrong he was.

"Get away!" A beautiful blonde woman in a white pearl dress hissed at Melinda, then zoomed up to her face, "Or I'll get you." With that, she was gone, and Melinda's heart began to race, fear taking over, but she decided an angry ghost wouldn't ruin her lunch with her new friend. Who she liked an awful lot. After just one meeting, she felt she really connected with him, and he felt the same way. Sparks were flying, and Melinda knew she was falling for this guy- hard.

**Not too long yet, but I hope you find it ok and interesting. Please review, and if you like it I'll update really soon! you can PM me any think you want me to include in this story, or any other ghost whisperer story you want me to do. Thanks for reading, and I'll write soon! **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Thankyou for the two reviews I got:) It means alot. I hope you enjoy chapter 2, and please review!**

Jim went back home feeling better than he had in three years. He really did feel connected to Melinda; and he was positive they would go out again. He had never told anybody, but whenever he was at home, he could feel coldness when he went into a particular room. It scared him slightly, but he decided it was nothing to investigate. He needed a good night's sleep anyway, as he had a shift at seven the next morning. He put on his pyjamas, and climbed into bed, and was thrust into a dream involving him and Poppy, not knowing she was watching him...

Melinda brushed her hair, and smiled. She was having a girly night with Andrea, who was eager to hear about her date.

"Come on, Melinda, spill!"She exclaimed, causing Melinda to laugh.

"Well, he's handsome, funny, and has a great personality,"she started, until she felt dizzyness washing over her. She knew at once it was the angry spirit, and so she turned around.

"What do you want?"Melinda asked, and the ghost shook her head at her.

"You don't get it,"Poppy thundered, "He's mine, and you've took him away from me."

"Your right, I don't understand. But why are you still here?" But Melinda didn't get an answer. Instead, Poppy vanished, leaving Melinda feeling confused.

"Let me guess, angry ghost, huh?" Andrea asked.

"Yep. She's confusing, too.''

A few weeks had passed, and Melinda and Jim were going on their seventh date. They were enjoying getting to know each other, and the two were really getting on well. Melinda still had the blonde ghost visit her everytime she and Jim went on a date, but she always vanished when Melinda went to ask her questions. That night, Jim was resting before the next date. But without warning, he felt as if he was escorted to a different room in the house. He stopped, and opened his eyes slightly, and grinned. It was Poppy.

"Your back! I've missed you so much, but I'm moving on. Her name's Melinda. She's beautiful, like you." He opened his eyes, and felt how he did when he woke up from a nightmare. He was sure Poppy had been standing infront of him. He thought he would tell Melinda about her on their date. Poppy had only said one thing, and it chilled him to the bone, "Your mine."

When he was finally ready, Jim left his house and went to pick Melinda up. His mouth dropped when he saw what she was wearing. A long, strapless white dress, embroided with diamonds and pearls, that sparkled when the light hit them. Her hair was curled perfectly, and her make up amazing.

"Wow..." Jim began, and Melinda giggled.

"Stop you,"she said, and gave him a kiss. Jim opened the other car door for her, and Melinda stepped in. "Thankyou butler,"she finished, giving him a wink, and Jim smiled. They drove off to a lovely old fashioned resteraunt, and ordered their food.

"Mel, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Jim, shoot."

"Do you believe in the supernatural?" Melinda felt her body freeze. She was planning on telling him, but not on their seventh date! She realized she had no choice, and nodded. "Of course I do, infact I have a gift," she began, nerves slowly getting the better. Jim looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean, Mel?"

"Promise me, you won't over react," She said, and he pulled out his pinky finger.

"I promise."

"Well, I have a gift. No one ever really believes me about it, but its true. I can see, and communicate with ghosts." Jim looked shocked, and relieved.

"That explains alot. On dates, when your mouth moved like your talking to thin air. What do you mean by ghosts?" Melinda felt so happy Jim wasn't angry about it. She hadn't got anyone to talk to about it, other than Andrea, since her mother tried to avoid it. At least growing up she had her grandma.

"I see earth bound spirits. Ghosts who won't, and often refuse to cross over, because they need to pass on a message, or don't approve of a change in life. They get stuck here for many reasons, and I help them go to the light." Jim nodded.

"I need to ask you something else,"he told her, "Have you seen a blonde, beautiful woman?"

"Yes. In a long white dress, with pearls on and curly hair. Do you know her?"

"Yes. She was my fiancee. She was killed at our engagement party, when a fire broke out,"Jim began, a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Oh Jim, I'm so sorry! She's been coming to me on our dates, she really isn't happy. Do you want to talk about her?"

"No. I can't. Not yet. One day. But I don't want to go into details at the moment."

"I understand,"Melinda said soothingly.

"Lets just try and get on with the date,"Jim said tearfully, trying to lighten the mood. They carried on, pretending that conversation hadn't happened-for now.

**Sorry its quite short:( I will update this at least once a week from now on. Please review and thanks for reading:)!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi there! If anyone read chapter 4 of Ever After, you'll know about the little incident that's going on with my laptop. If not, I'll explain; all 18 documents I had(4 were for this story) have been wiped. Well, my whole laptop won't turn on, so I'm using my mum's. So major sorry, and I feel awful for the extremely long author's note! Also, this is when they have been dating for 7 months.**

The sparkly, navy blue dress in the shop window of the new French boutique, Rideaux en Boeuf. Melinda could hardly take her eyes away, and Andrea had to physically pull her away.

"It is lovely," She said, smiling at Melinda's scowl, "But do you really need it? Really, really really need it?"

"Yes," Melinda said, giving her best friend a playful shove, "I need it. But I haven't got my purse."

"Come back tomorrow morning," Andrea suggested, and she shrugged. "Now lets go to work. We're already late."

However, Melinda had not noticed Jim sat on a bench, sipping his coffee, and skimming through the morning paper. He had glimpsed up to see Melinda looking at a dress, and he had decided that he would buy it for her as a surprise. How that would make her happy. Jim entered the boutique, feeling rather embarrassed at being surrounded by women.

"Can I help you?" The shop assistant asked, her French accent clear.

"Yes; I was hoping to purchase that dress in the window," he said, pointing to the royal blue dress.

"A fine choice, Monsieur. Shall I wrap it up?"

"Please," he said, gratefully, and handed her the money.

"Well, whoever you bought this for is a lucky lady. Au revoir."

"Au revoir," he replied, and waved at her happily.

GW

When Melinda arrived home from a tiring day, she was surprised to find a huge box on her porch. She opened her front door with her key, and brought the box in. 'I wonder what this could be,' she pondered, as she cut through the cardboard. She took out tissue paper, and unwrapped it. It was the dress, ripped to shreds.

"Well. Not happy now, are we, Melinda?" A soft, yet chilling voice asked, and Melinda turned round.

"I knew this was you, Poppy," Melinda said, struggling not to cry. "How could you?"

"I was going to play fair," The beautiful ghost shrugged, "But you still haven't got away from Jim like I asked in the first place."

"We make each other happy!" Melinda shouted, and Poppy came face to face with her.

"You think you do, little girly. But if you saw what Jim and I had, you would see your so called love was nothing!" With that, Melinda was left cradling the dress.

A knocking at the door woke Melinda up, and she yawned, stretching sleepily.

"Morning," Jim smiled, and kissed her forehead, "Did you get any surprises?"

"Just a few," Melinda said, trying not to tell him what had happened to the dress he had obviously bought her.

"Lets see it on you," He said, and Melinda, ever the prepared one, smoothly offered him a drink. But he had replied, "Just a quick one, and then I'll have to go-after seeing the dress, of course."

So Melinda trudged up the stairs, and put the dress on. She was surprised it wasn't ripped.

"It would look better on me," Poppy said, snottily, before disappearing. Suddenly, a rush of water came from the kitchen. Melinda ran down the stairs, where Jim was trying to get it under control.

"It was so sudden!" he shouted, over the rushing noise.

"Stop it!" Melinda shouted, looking over to where Poppy was stood. 'That's a powerful ghost,' her mind told her.

"As you wish," Poppy smiled, and the tap gave a glug and the water poured over the floor. Then, she was gone.

"Are you ok?" Jim asked, absolutely soaked. "That dress looks stunning, Mel. Truly. I'll have to take you to dinner so you can show it off."

"I'm paying for dinner, Jim. You payed for this," Melinda said, and dabbed at him with a tea towel. Jim looked into her eyes, and kissed her lovingly.

"You're the best thing that's happened to me lately," He said, shyly. "Mel… I love you."

"Oh, Jim! I love you too!" She exclaimed, and leapt into his arms. He spun her around, and kissed her again.

"Thank God I found you," He whispered into her ear. Melinda didn't say anything; she simply tightened her grip.

_**Well, my lovelies, that was Chapter 3! Expect updates regularly.**_

_**~Olivia xx~**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4-**

**I got my laptop early! Yesterday, with my christmas money. I'm still getting used to it, so if there are any typos I'm sorry. Merry Christmas, and I hope you all got everything you wanted!**

**Thanks for all the reviews! Its great:D And Hermione321 I have really tried to make this chapter longer and more descriptive. I hope you enjoy!x And, this has nothing to do with Ghost Whisperer, but I'm going to Hogwarts in June! Part of my Christmas present. Can't wait(:**

**-Happy New Year!**

Melinda had never been as happy as she was now. Snow was falling, making the floor white and crisp. She and Jim were all wrapped up, from head to toe in wintry coats and wellington boots. CRUNCH! Jim jumped into the bed of snow, and it made a loud noise, making Melinda giggle. Gathering up a ball of snow, she hid behind a bush that had been green earlier on.

Through the little gaps, she could see Jim looking for her, with a puzzled look on his face, his head turning round every few seconds. "Mel?" He called, "Were are you?" Melinda took this as her cue to throw the rather large snowball. She quickly threw it, and it landed on the back of Jim's head. He reached up to pat his head, and turned around to see Melinda biting her lip rather anxiously, trying to restrain a laugh.

"So that's how you want to play it," Jim said aloud, a small smirk on his lips, "Get ready to be snowed, Melinda Gordon." Melinda ran behind the house, and couldn't wait to play this game, and she would defenitely win!

After quite a few games of snowballing, the couple were beginning to get cold. The once crisp snow was now full of foot prints, and starting to lose its magic. Melinda shivered, and folded her arms and moved them in an effort to keep warm. Jim noticed, and put his strong arms around her.

"Maybe its time to go in, Mel," Jim suggested, and Melinda nodded her head rather quickly.

"I think so. I'll make some hot chocolate," She replied, and it was Jim's turn to nod.

"No marshmallows for me," He smiled, and Melinda rolled her eyes at him as she dragged him in through the front door.

The fire wouldn't start. No matter how many tims Melinda and Jim tried, the fire would just blow out.

"Perhaps it's too windy," Melinda said, and Jim agreed.

"Try one more time," He instructed. Melinda rubbed the two pieces of wood together, and finally, the flames stayed. "Nice and toasty," Jim said, and Melinda giggled. They both sat on the sofa, Melinda's head on Jim's shoulder. He was flicking through the channels, until he settled on a Christmas film they would both like. Jim took a sip of his hot chocolate, and smiled. Melinda was fast asleep already. Her hair had fallen over some of her face, and, gently, Jim moved the strand away. She looked so peaceful. Jim kissed her forehead and took her to her bedroom. Carefully, he switched the light on, and placed Melinda on the bed and put a large blanket around her.

"Sleep well, Mel," He said, turning the light off and going back down the narrow staircase to finish his drink and watch the film. He realised how lucky he was; after Poppy's death he thought he would never meet anyone so lovely and beautiful. But it had happened. Finally, the film had ended, and Jim walked back up the stairs quietly. Melinda was still asleep. He lifted the cover and slid in next to her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. Tomorrow Melinda would be staying at his; they often changed days of staying at the other's houses.

Sleep claimed Jim quickly; in a matter of seconds he was in a deep slumber. He began to dream, as he did so often, about his old life.

**Dream.**

The whole room was completely blank, if it even was a seemed to be no walls, or floor, or ceiling. Jim looked down, and all he saw was cloud. A hand soon extended from the nowhere, a slender, lightly tanned hand with false nails. He recognised this immedietly.

"Come with me," A woman's voice was saying, and Jim was in a trance of sorts. The woman wasn't where the extreme light was, and a slight darkness hung over her.

"Of course," He replied, his hand taking the daintier one. A face emerged from the clouds, and he walked towards it. He kept walking, as the face seemed to go further away, although he was holding the blonde's hand.

"Hurry." Her voice was as sweet as sugar, and Jim started to run.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._ That was all Jim could hear, and sobbing. He tried to open his eyes, but felt he couldn't.

"Please, Jim. Please don't leave me, Jim, I love you," This was a different voice; different from the one he had heard in his dream. It was Melinda. The beeping got slower, and he could _feel._ Feel the hand that rested upon his, feel th emotions running around in him. And he knew he had to wake up. And it would be worth a shot. All Jim wanted right now was to wake up, hug Melinda and kiss her, telling her how much he loved her. What seemed like hours went by.

Finally, Jim could open his eyes. He had to blink quite a few times to feel alright, and rather slowly, but he did it.

"Jim?" Melinda gasped, rather shocked, "Your awake!" Melinda tried to stop the tears from falling down her face, but she was so happy she couldn't stop. "Your awake," She repeated, more for herself than Jim.

"I sure am," Jim smiled, albiet weakly, but it was the most he had done for a long time. "What happened? How long have I been here?" He asked, wanting answers.

"You... I think you had been sleep walking. You were calling out in your sleep, and before I knew it, I had fell back asleep. You woke me up when you started talking."

"Sorry," He apologized, but Melinda just waved a hand at him.

"I heard a loud bang about an hour later, and I found you at the bottom of the stairs. You must have fell. I'd never been so afraid, Jim," Melinda explained as another tear fell down her face. Jim wiped it away, softly, and gave her his crooked smile. "Don't ever go away again," She added, and Jim held out his little finger.

"I promise," Jim said, rather solemnly, before Melinda bent down to kiss his lips. The couple sat in silence for a few minutes, until Jim spoke. "How long have I been out?" He asked.

"About three weeks," Melinda said, "You hit your head pretty hard."

"I can feel that," He winced, "What did I hurt, exactly?"

"Broke your right leg, fractured your left arm," She said, and Jim looked wary.

"That's months off work!"

"Yes, and you'll need looking after. I've been given permission to do that."

"Thank you," He said, "I wouldn't want any other nurse."

"I wouldn't want you having any other nurse," Melinda laughed, and Jim joined in.

Doctor Elizabeth, who had been taking care of Jim, entered the room with a big smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, Mr Clancy. I see you've woken up. We'll have to make sure your alright, and then you might be able to go home within the next few days," She explained, and looked at Melinda and gave a small smile. "You had Miss Gordon here rather distressed," Doctor Elizabeth added, and Melinda blushed slightly.

"Now you seem bright in yourself. Anywhere hurt?"

"My left arm. My right arm. My head," He said, and the kindly doctor nodded.

"That is to be expected, of course." Melinda squeezed Jim's hand carefully.

"Well, I'll leave you both alone for now. If, when I check you up later, are fine, I will allow you home tomorrow. Get some rest," She instucted, and made her way out the room, shutting the door carefully.

"I know you didn't want to talk about anything ghostly, Jim, but did you see anyhing... strange?" Melinda asked suddenly, shocking herself and Jim.

"Actually, I did." There was no point denying it; he had seen some odd things. "I thought it was a dream."

"Tell me," Melinda persisted, "I want to know."

"It was all clouds, everywhere. And a woman's hand... she held it out to me. But she looked trapped, and I took it. She got further away, but I could still hold her hand. It was Poppy, I'm sure of it."

"That is normally when you die. You experience things like that. The girl was Poppy... she's been reaching out to you."

"Alright. But I still don't feel ready to talk about that, Mel. I hope you understand. For now, I don't want to think about my past and Poppy; I want to think of my future, with you," Jim said, and kissed Melind gently.

"I understand," She said, and gave him a hug, "I understand, Jim."

**Chapter 4 done! I hope you enjoyed it. It took most of this evening to finish, but I wanted to leave it there.:) **

**Thanks for reading!x**

_**preview for chapter 5- "Just stop, Melinda," Jim said, his mouth curled in a snarl, "Are love is nothing."**_

_**"Please," Melinda begged, "Your not being yourself, your possessed. Try to be you, Jim, the real you."**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Summary:**

_**"Just stop, Melinda," Jim said, his mouth curled in a snarl, "Our love is nothing."**_

_**"Please," Melinda begged, "You're not being yourself, your possessed. Try to be you, Jim, the real you."**_

**Hello again****Thank you for reviewing, and enjoy this chapter!**

After returning home from hospital, Jim was slowly recovering. Melinda took great care of him, and the discussion of Poppy had not been heard of for a few weeks. The snow was beginning to melt, and Jim watched as Melinda hoovered around his feet.

"You've been busy all day, Mel," Jim sighed, longing to be able to walk up to her and wrap his arms around her.

The hoover stopped, and Melinda sighed, "You know I want to stop, Jim, but your mother's coming to see how you are. I don't want her thinking I'm messy," She said, and gave him a little kiss, "I have to make up the guest bedroom and-"

"Mel, she's not coming until Tuesday," Jim said, and Melinda nodded.

"Exactly."

"Well, then, come and watch television with me, and I'll do some dusting later. How about it?"

"That sounds lovely," Melinda replied dreamily, sitting herself down on the sofa.

"I told you," Jim smiled, and kissed her gently, and put on a programme on the large television. After an hour, though, Melinda got to her feet. "Where ya going?" Jim asked sleepily.

"Just upstairs, got a few things to do," Melinda whispered, and ruffled his hair, I'll be back soon."

"Hurry up," Jim added, yawning.

Melinda walked up the stairs, holding onto the banister carefully. At the top of the stairs, was a bin that needed emptying. She picked it up, and when she looked up, someone was standing in front of her.

"Poppy? What are you doing here?" Melinda asked, backing up slightly, before realising the stairs where behind her.

"You know why, Melinda," Poppy snarled, "Just leave Jim alone."

"But-"

"Don't even try to say you love each other," She began angrily, "I've heard it all before. I'm getting very angry, Melinda. Don't try and cross me."

The landing went cold, and a bang came from the spare bedroom. All the cupboards where on the floor, littering over each other. Poppy stood in the middle of all the chaos.

"I was going to say I could help you," Melinda explained, "Get you to the light. It's were you belong, Poppy. Your family are waiting for you."

"No, they aren't. I have nobody."

"Surely there's someone."

"NO!" Poppy yelled, and came face to face with Melinda, "Even if there was somebody, I won't go. I prefer it here. Understand?" The coldness entered the room again, and Poppy was gone.

"Mel?" Jim shouted from downstairs, "You ok?"

"Fine," Melinda called, "Just tripped over. Talking to myself," She added, before getting to work on cleaning up the guest bedroom. It was a cosy little room; the bed was cream, the wardrobes wooden, with a small TV on a desk in the corner. She sighed to herself; this ghost was extremely stubborn. Surely there was some way of getting her to the light? Socks littered the floor, and Melinda felt like she could burst into tears. After the little encounter with Poppy, it left her far more shaken up than with other ghosts she had met about. Of course, there had been rather nasty visitors, but Melinda often discovered it was to hide their fears about families, friends, or what would happen when they went up to the light. Poppy herself seemed to be hiding something… but what?

It took about an hour, but the room was finally clean. The whole house was spotless, and Melinda finally set herself back next to Jim again, sprawling out on her part of the large sofa.

"All finished," She smiled, sleepily.

"What took you so long?" Jim asked, wondering what kept her.

"Guest bedroom was worse than I thought," She explained, "It needed a bit more sorting than the rest of the house."

"Well, I'll make dinner tonight, if that's ok with you, Mel. I wouldn't want you falling asleep while something was cooking." Jim began to wheel out the room, going to take a large, ready prepared salad and some other little snacks. It was quite difficult to do daily things in a wheelchair, but Jim was coping with it. In a few more weeks, he would be using crutches to get around, and shortly after that back to normal, with some physiotherapy to make sure the leg was healing correctly. Soon, he was shouting Melinda to the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, before taking a seat at one end of the table.

"Thanks for doing this, Jim," Melinda smiled gratefully at him, and he waved her off.

"It was nothing, Mel," He said, "You've been working all day."

"You're not supposed to do anything, though," She pointed out, grinning.

"True, but it doesn't mean I don't want to. I miss being able to do things with my legs and my other arm. I suppose it was quite difficult to do it one handed, but everything was already prepared in the fridge, so all I had to do was serve it."

"Still, you didn't have to," Melinda said, beginning to bite into a chicken drumstick.

-GW-

The next day, Jim was propped up on the sofa, a bowl of popcorn at his side. Melinda was going to open up the shop, work for a few hours and come home. She hadn't seen Andrea for quite a few days, and she was starting to miss her friend. It was now Monday, and Melinda was beginning to get anxious about meeting Jim's mother. A few hours of work would take her mind off the impending day.

"Bye, Jim," Melinda said, bending down to give him a kiss, and wrapped her scarf round her neck. There wasn't much snow left, but the weather was still bitter cold.

"See you this afternoon, Mel," He smiled, "Don't forget to pick me up a little something."

"I won't," She replied, and after one final kiss she set off for Same As It Never Was.

Walking down the street, Melinda couldn't help but smile; children running round in the last remaining snow on the ground, on the way to school, adults chattering happily on the way to work with their morning coffee, and toddlers in their prams, gurgling happily. It was going to be a relaxed day, Melinda thought to herself, before crossing the square to get to the shop. Andrea, however, had already opened the small antiques shop, and she was sat at the till, yawning.

"Sorry, Andrea, I should have got here earlier," Melinda apologized, and her friend simply waved her arm in response.

"Don't worry about it," Andrea said, getting up to give her best friend a hug, "You've had a lot on your mind, as of late."

"I know," Melinda sighed, "I'm just getting so worked up about Jim's mother coming to stay for a week. And that ghost is getting really bad, I'd tidied up and she threw _everything _out the draws and cupboards." She was on the verge of tears.

"Have you told Jim?" Andrea asked sympathetically. Melinda looked up, wiping the first tear that had come down her cheek.

"What?"

"Have you told Jim," Andrea stated this time, more firmly than last.

"Of course not," Melinda said, exasperated.

"You should."

"He gets upset if you bring Poppy up."

"Of course he does, Melinda," Andrea said gently, "He was going to marry the woman."

"How do you know?" She asked, quietly.

"It was on the front of the paper and on the news," Andrea replied, "I kept that paper, because it was the one with the article on the 'new shop in Grandview' and one of the advertisements page, remember?"

"Of course! I remember now. The paper is in that draw, isn't it?"

"Yep. We were going to stick the article up on the wall when business started to get great."

"I need to see this." Melinda hurried to the draw that contained the newspaper. After some thorough digging, she plucked it out the draw.

_Grandview news._

_Local woman killed in fire._

_Just last week, tragedy struck in Grandview. Local lady, Poppy Londes, was killed at her engagement party under seven days ago. The beauty, 24, was still inside the party venue, The Plough. Known for beautiful rooms, and a happy atmosphere, with a dance floor to party the night away. The main rooms are now gone, thanks to the blaze caused by a man not stubbing out a cigarette properly. "Its such a shame," Anna Coogan, who was at the party told us, "Poppy was such a lovely girl. She didn't deserve that, and I send my prayers to her family, and the fiancé she left behind." Jim Clancy, 25, was Poppy's fiancé. He did not want to be contacted during this difficult time. _

_Onlookers described the sight of The Plough 'Shocking.' Many can barely get their heads around the fact that the lovely place to celebrate occasions- is gone. The building will undergo reconstruction , starting the October this year. A special plaque towards Poppy Londes' memory will be inside, as she was the only one who sadly died in the fire._

"Oh my," Melinda said, "This is worse than I thought."

-GW-

Jim sat, almost asleep, on the sofa. He yawned, and stretched his good arm, and opened his eyes, slowly. His vision was still rather hazy, and although he knew who he was, he felt different. Almost evil. This came true when Melinda came home…

"Jim? I'm home," Melinda called, shutting the door and placing her jacket on the coat stand. She walked into the living room, expecting Jim to be sat on the sofa, watching television. However, he was nowhere in sight. After searching all the lower floor of the house, Melinda was worried. Jim wouldn't be able to get upstairs, what with his wheelchair, so the brown haired woman walked out to the garden.

Jim was sat, with his back facing towards Melinda. He felt so strange, so powerful. He closed his eyes, and breathed in.

"Jim! There you are! Jim?" Melinda said, placing a hand on his shoulder tediously. Jim's head snapped round, his eyes larger, unblinking.

"Leave me," He said, his voice void of emotion.

"Look, Jim, if I've upset you… I'm sorry. I'll go make dinner, ok? Just remember, I love you."

"NO!" Jim thumped the table with his good hand. "I don't love you!"

"But Jim-"

"Just stop, Melinda," Jim said, his mouth curled in a snarl, "Our love is nothing."

"Please," Melinda begged, "You're not being yourself, your possessed. Try to be you, Jim, the real you." Finally, Melinda understood. He was not being himself, because he _wasn't_ himself.

Melinda, upset, headed back inside after receiving no response. Perhaps he would be back to normal tomorrow? Melinda hoped, with all her heart, he would be. What would she say to his mother, after all?

**Sorry, it's not that great also, major apologies for not updating in so long. I've just becme an auntie, had lots of exams, and read The Hunger Games Trilogy a lot. Updates will be a lot more frequent now, that's a promise!**

_**Preview for chapter 6:**_

"_**Ahh, Mrs Clancy, how good to see you!"**_

"_**Oh, Melinda, darling, your absolutely lovely! We'll have to go and have a nice chat over lunch! I'll go and find Jim, to let him know to come aswell!"**_

"_**I hope he's no longer possessed," Melinda muttered to herself, hopefully.**_

"_**What was that, dear?"**_

**The preview for next chapter doesn't sound too great, huh? Hopefully, it will be better than the preview! Please review, it means a lot xx**


	6. Chapter 6

I completely forgot to update this story! I am so sorry; I will try to be more frequent with updates. Here is chapter 6, anyway!  
>When Melinda awoke on the Tuesday morning, the first thing that she decided to do was check whether or not Jim was himself again. Quickly, she put on her dressing gown and headed down the stairs.<br>Jim had stayed; that much was obvious from the huddle under the thick, woolen blanket. Disappointment oozed through her chest when she saw the look of hatred on his face when he roused. He glared at her for a moment, before turning his gaze to the outside view in the window. Sighing heavily, Melinda turned towards the kitchen, feeling her early morning hopefulness that the Jim who loved her would return ebbing away.  
>As soon as Melinda had left the room, and the thoughts of escaping gone, Jim came to his senses. What had happened last night? Had he and Melinda argued, was that why he was on the sofa? So many questions filled his brain, buzzing as though thousands of bees were flying about. It was beginning to give him a headache. The troubling thing was, he couldn't remember anything from yesterday evening, and the moment he had woke up that morning. Slowly, he eased himself into his wheelchair and looked out of the window once more, until Melinda's voice reverberated through his ears.<br>"Jim! Breakfast is ready," She called. Melinda could hear his wheels coming through the living room door, and she told herself over and over again to try to remain positive. 'A good breakfast means a good day,' she repeated again and again as he finally reached the kitchen. "Morning," Melinda said timidly, peering at him from behind her glass of orange juice, still feeling cautious that he would snap at her.  
>"Morning, Mel. This looks great." He gestured to the cereal, the bacon and egg and pancakes that covered the table before kissing her, "This is a great start to a busy day."<br>"Thanks, Jim," she smiled at him, almost shyly, before they tucked into the deliciously made food.  
>Small talk filled the table smoothly, and Melinda soon felt confident enough to ask Jim about what was on her mind.<br>"Do you remember anything from last night?" It came out so suddenly, that Melinda didn't even think that it was her who had asked the question.  
>"Nothing, nothing at all. Why? Did we fight, Mel? Is that why I was on the sofa? The only thing I remember is waking up this morning and hearing you calling my name." He sipped his orange juice and set it down, looking at her intently.<br>"No, we didn't fight. You were so tired that I just covered you with the blanket," Melinda lied, twirling her spoon in the bowl of cereal, "You looked so peaceful, I just couldn't wake you up."  
>"Oh, right. My memory is pretty fuzzy from last night. Feels like I wasn't myself." Melinda almost choked, but carried on spooning the cereal into her mouth as though nothing had happened. "This might be a lot to ask, Mel, but do you think you could pick my mom up from the train station at about three? I would, but, you know..." He looked at his bad leg and sighed.<br>"Of course, Jim! I'll be out this afternoon anyway, so I'll go and get her."  
>"We could take her to dinner tonight; you could wear your new dress," Jim said.<br>"A wonderful suggestion, Jim," Melinda beamed at him, before kissing him on the cheek. "I'm opening the shop this morning, so I'd better hurry up and get dressed." Running back up the stairs to get ready, Melinda felt her happiness returning to her; perhaps Poppy would leave them alone while Mrs Clancy visited?  
>After applying her finishing touches of mascara, and running a brush through her hair, Melinda waved goodbye to Jim, who was washing the dishes, and set off in her red car to the shop. When she arrived, she took the small key out of her bag, and turned it in the lock. She pushed the door open and began to work on the new window display, which involved small figurines being dangled from the ceiling, all of their happy faces looking out of the window. The fake trees went up, and some snow, and the display was complete.<br>The figurines were a hit with older customers; Same As It Never Was had never been so packed before. Everyone seemed to fall in love with the small figurines; not one person left without stopping to admire them at the very least.  
>"They're from England, limited collection. We'll soon be getting more from the suppliers," Melinda told a customer cheerily as she handed over her change.<br>"I'll be sure to come and get some more, dearie," She smiled at her warmly, took the bag and began to make her way out of the shop. Andrea walked in, passing the woman's shoulder, and waved at Melinda. She hung her yellow coat on the coat rail. Melinda smiled in return, before noticing one of the few remaining figurines holding on to Andrea's right leg. The normally angelic face of the cherub was scrunched up with anger, and, instead of the small harp it had had in it's grasp earlier, there was a minute knife. The plaster curls were sticking up all over the place. How was this possible?  
>"Andrea, move- quickly!"<br>"What's going on, Melinda? Owww!" She let out a yell, lifting her leg up and hopping around, "I think I've been bit by a mosquito," Andrea said, her eyes becoming unfocused and her voice drowsy. She stepped backwards, and the figurine crunched into pieces as Andrea stood on it. Melinda rushed to clean up the pieces, and threw them in the bin.  
>"Are you ok, Andrea?" She questioned, steadying her friend by holding on to her shoulders.<br>"I don't know... I feel a little wierd."  
>"I'll take you home," Melinda offered, locking up the shop and taking Andrea by the arm into her car to drive her to her flat.<br>"Ring me if you feel too bad, ok?"  
>"Yeah, sure... Bye Melinda," Andrea said vaguely before waving and shutting the door.<p>

The shop stood in the bright sunlight, the windows gleaming as the cold sun cast it's rays over Grandview. A young woman sat on a bench, before standing up and watching as another woman unlocked the shop again and stepped inside, allowing a man with a delivery box to follow her in. Poppy smiled to herself, ignoring the fact that people were walking right through her and shivering when they went past. She was too busy focusing on the delivery box. When the man had put it down and left, she hurriedly walked up to the window, as she turned her back to go to the store room. Melinda Gordon. Her arch enemy. The woman who had took her Jim away from her. She quickly scrawled underneath the box, without lifting it up, property of Poppy Londes. Smirking to herself once more, she vanished, deciding to go and pay Melinda's best friend a visit.  
>At quarter to three, Melinda shut the shop once again and drove to the train station. Jim had given her a picture of his mother, so she would know what she looked like. As three o'clock ticked on, Melinda saw an older woman in large sunglasses (although it was the end of January), medium length blonde hair, and a large smile.<br>"Melinda, darling, it's so good to finally meet you!" Mrs Clancy beamed at her, before kissing her on the cheek and giving her a warm hug.  
>"It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs Clancy," Melinda said politely, before returning the hug.<br>"I heard you've been taking good care of my boy," she said, patting her on the back.  
>"Yeah, he's a good patient," she smiled, before muttering to herself, "when he's not possessed."<br>"What was that, dear?" She asked, looking at her with slight concern.  
>"Nothing, just reminding myself where I have to go tomorrow; you can come along, if you like."<br>"Oh, dear, that would be lovely! It will be great getting to know all about the little lady who has captured my son's heart."  
>After putting the suitcases in the back of the car, they both chatted to each other happily on the ride back home. When they arrived, Jim was sat on the sofa, dressed in a thick jumper and jeans. When he saw his mom, he stood up so quickly he forgot for almost a second that he had broken leg.<br>"Jimmy!" She cried, pulling him into a ribcracking hug. She gave him the once over, and was satisfied he was not to skinny nor too shabby, and hugged him again.  
>"Good to see you, mom," he smiled, before they both sat on the sofa.<br>"So, where are we going to dinner, Jim?" Melinda asked, and his mother showed keen interest.  
>"Ooh, where are you taking us, son? I'm starving," she added with a wink to Melinda, who grinned at her.<br>-GW-  
>Andrea was home alone, after enjoying a nice bath. The 'bite,' that she had received that morning had stopped aching and was stinging. She had no idea what had come over her. She stepped into her bedroom, put on a nice pair of pyjamas and laid down on the bed. Suddenly, the lights went out and she gave a startled scream as she felt a hand grab her shoulder... She was scared, and then the lights came back on, and she was alone.<br>-GW-  
>After a lovely dinner with Jim and his mom, Melinda felt sleepy and full. Jim had just took his mother to the guest bedroom using his crutches, and he had gone to bed already. She pressed the button on her answering machine, and was shocked to discover about 10 messages from Andrea; they all said the same thing, in a petrified voice... "Melinda help, there's a ghost, I don't know what to do, it grabbed my shoulder... Melinda..." After hearing it over and over again, Melinda came to her senses and grabbed her car keys... she was going to go and help Andrea. She slammed the front door shut without a backward glance... not noticing Poppy Londes slipping through the wall, her expression proud and blank.<br>Chapter 7:  
>Jim and Melinda's relationship is on the rocks when he thinks she has sold Poppy's figurines.<br>Poppy continues to haunt Andrea to get at Melinda.  
>It took me a while to get into writing this, but it should be updated again before I go back to school. Please review and let me know if anything needs changing, and if you want to see the story go a particular direction, please let me know. Thanks for reading!(:<p> 


End file.
